Training by Serving

New Staff Training Camp on the Camino de Santiago

On Sunday, June 8th, Agape Europe began the first part of its annual New Staff Training Camp. This 2-week program for new workers with Agape takes place along the St. James' Way in Ligonde, Spain, where Agape runs a pilgrim hostel. This practical training combines theory with practice with participants running the hostel and serving pilgrims during the first week and then becoming pilgrims themselves during the second. Participants walk for Sarria to Santiago, about 147 km, to get the real taste of the Camino de Santiago.

Twenty people from 6 European countries (Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, U.K. and Austria) are part of the Team in June.

The hostel, called La Fuente del Peregrino (The Pilgrim's Fountain), welcomes guests from around the globe. Trainees engage with pilgrims in various ways - from cooking meals and cleaning rooms to taking time for personal talks, prayer and handing out cold drinks to weary walkers. David from Chile left this comment in the guestbook after staying in the hostel last spring with a friend:

We want to thank you again for allowing us to live in real life the parable of the Good Samaritan and the experience that you gave us. I will never know if it was a human or divine experience, I think it was both. But something I can say, since the moment that you calmly talked to us when we were sitting on the ground, you invited us to have an experience that we will never forget. I remember lots about what we talked about, and I truly believe in hope because of people like you.

Thank you from our hearts and congratulations.

We wish this year's team of trainees lots of memorable encounters with pilgrims like David.